is the online magazine of BSI Group, highlighting the vital role that standards play in today's business environment by helping organizations improve quality, save money, reduce risk and be more sustainable. Features include interviews with leading business figures, as well as news on the latest developments in management systems, standards, testing, healthcare and certification.
Viewpoint
Question: Does business really need an integrated management systems standard?Integrate or disintegrate - which would you choose? Some ten years ago the environmental standard, ISO 14001, was born and there are now over 100,000 organizations registered to it worldwide.
Some 30 years ago, BSI carried out the first assessments to the standard that later developed into ISO 9001. Today there are 800,000 organizations worldwide registered to it. These standards have proved to be incredibly successful and have been widely adopted worldwide.
In the last few weeks, the world's first certificate to the integrated management "standard" PAS 99 was issued. How many of these will there be in ten, 20 or 30 years? It seems likely to me that there will be a large number. Of course, by then, I anticipate the "standard" will no longer be called PAS 99: it will be refined and doubtless improved by the rigours of the international standardization process but it will be there in big numbers.
At the BSI conference in the UK in early March, five per cent of organizations represented already had fully integrated systems. Thirty per cent had systems that were capable of being integrated or were en route to integration. PAS 99 represents a practical way to meet market demand for integrated registration ensuring high standards across all component parts. It was developed by top class practitioners in the art; it is timely; widely recognized and eminently practical. It will be used.
Neil Hannah,
managing director, BSI Management Systems UK
"Numerous businesses have found considerable benefits in integrating the management systems that they operate. Not only is much duplication avoided, but integration can bring coherence to the operation and better business focus. Guidance on integration is valuable and PAS 99 is a significant contribution in this respect.
"At present, there is no requirement for organizations to demonstrate that they have an integrated management system in place. Companies implementing the guidance outlined in PAS 99 are doing so for the benefits it brings to the business."
David Smith, author of PAS 99, director, iMS Risk Solutions
"The integrity of Multisol's management systems stems from their integration at the very start: PAS 99 offers a single framework to address the needs of our suppliers and customers; our environmental responsibilities and our place in the local community as well as mapping the demands of our future development. PAS 99 facilitates an ethos of continuous improvement throughout the organization without labelling topics as relevant for quality, environment or health and safety, so there is a single holistic focus. PAS 99 has provided Multisol with a structure to refine our management systems and the opportunity to incorporate essential control mechanisms, which previously existed outside our accredited systems. We are now able to identify and incorporate relevant aspects of other accredited systems within our controlled management structure."
Hilary Banner, director, Multisol
Business Standards © 2010. Editorial produced by Caspian Publishing in association with The British Standards Institution. Editorial opinions expressed on are not necessarily those of BSI Group or Caspian Publishing. Neither Caspian Publishing nor BSI Group accept responsibility for advertising or editorial content, nor for that appearing on linked third-party websites. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without written permission from BSI Group or Caspian Publishing.
A little bit extra for Kitemark® bodyshops and garages
It's all well and good for an automotive bodyshop to earn the Thatcham BSI Kitemark® for Vehicle Body Repair, but it won't have as much impact if potential clients don't know about it. As a consequence, BSI decided to offer an Extras marketing toolkit to bodyshops and garages that have earned the Kitemark.
OCS, an international facilities services group based in the UK, has achieved triple certification to ISO 9001 Quality management, ISO 14001 Environmental management/ and BS OHSAS 18001 Health and safety management with BSI.
How do you put a price on a brand? An international standard in the making will provide a consistent, reliable approach to brand valuation.
Airbus in the UK has achieved certification to BS 25999, the Business Continuity Management (BCM) standard, following an audit from BSI. The certification covers Airbus? wing manufacturing site in Broughton, North Wales and becomes the first aerospace manufacturing company to receive certification to this standard by BSI.
Gerda, a leading developer and manufacturer of products for the security industry, has become the first company to be awarded the Kitemark for thief-resistant lock assemblies, in line with BS 10621:2007 Thief resistant dual-mode lock assembly.
Question: what is the value of a "non-
standard" standard, such as a PAS?
The PAS, or Publicly Available Specification, forms part of our spectrum of standards information ranging from full international consensus to bespoke individual company advice.
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